You won’t be a Paragon or a Renegade in Mass Effect Andromeda

I really struggle to be a bad guy in games. I mean, sure, I can kill hundreds of people, creatures or aliens without a second thought, but saying something mean to my crew mates or not being supportive when they need me? I just can’t do it. Aside from a few Renegade moments, I played the Mass Effect trilogy as an almost pure Paragon. But this time around, it won’t be so cut and dry.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Mass Effect Andromeda’s creative director, Mac Walters, explained that morality has changed in the new game.

I think in general, with all this sophistication of games or engaging in any kind of entertainment right now, [gamers are] looking for more of those shades of grey.
[The old system] was a core part of who Shepard was. I think now we’re moving away from that. We’ve been looking for other ways to engage more of those shades of grey; less about it being obviously being right or wrong and more about giving people a sense of choice.

Makes sense to me. Commander Shepard, and gamers in general, were more black and white in previous years. We wanted to know we were making the right or wrong decision. But as games have become more sophisticated, it’s not just a matter of unlocking dialogue options or getting a romance option to pop up. It’s fun to feel like we make a variety of choices, that there isn’t really a right or a wrong action, but a gradient. Plus, it seems more fitting in this new environment – we’re explorers of the unknown in Mass Effect: Andromeda, seeking out a new galaxy as a new home.

Were you also a constant paragon in Mass Effect, or were you like Darryn, never caring about the collection of pixels and acting like a terrible person until it resulted in the death of the one you loved?

Wielding my lasso of truth, I am the combination of nerd passion and grammar nazi. I delve into all things awesome and geek-tastic. You can read more of my words over at www.borngeek.co.za, or just follow me on all the social networks to get the true range of my sarcasm and wit.

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